Embalming machine



Aug. 12, 1941. T. GILMORE ET AL 2,252,624

EMBALMING MACHINE 4 Filed Dec. 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2720772045 Gal/mare lazpzis Jzazad 1941- T. GILMORE ETAL 2,252,524

EMBALMING MACHINE Filed Dec. '18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1720/7305 Giizrzare Z0203 Jawd,

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EMBALMING MACHINE Thomas Gilmore and Louis Junod, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 18, 1939, Serial No. 309,914

This invention relates to embalming apparatus Claims.

and more particularly to a combination pressure and aspirating pump and accessories adapted to simultaneously deliver a uniform regulatable flow of compressed air and to provide a uniform suction or aspiration likewise subject to regulation whereby embalming fluid may be delivered from a suitable reservoir at the same time that body fluids are withdrawn into a receptacle.

It is an important object of the invention to provide unitary apparatus for the above purposes, combining in small compass an electric motor, a dual purpose rotary air pump having lubricating and sealing adjuncts serving also to silence the equipment, together with a pair of equalizing chambers, one in the input to the pump and the other in the discharge, which chambers are filled with a porous, resilient, sound-deadening material to assist in producing a uniform flow of am Another object of the invention consists in the use of sponge rubber in the pressure-equalizing chambers, which contributes to the uniformity of flow, silences the pump output and acts as a final separator of oil from the compressed air.

An important feature of the invention comprises the use of these chambers between the pump and the associated embalming equipment, together with associated adjustable relief valves connecting the interior of each chamber to the atmosphere, whereby the delivered pressure and vacuum can be preset to the value most desirable for the particular operation being carried out, thereby permitting superior results in the embalming operations as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Another important feature of the invention resides in directly associating with each chamber an appropriate gage for indicating the several pressures adjacent their delivery points and for preventing pulsations thereof by virtue of the equalizing effects of these chambers.

A still further feature of the invention comprises the use of an oil reservoir for delivering, sealing and lubricating oil to the pump with the assistance of the output pressure thereof, said reservoir being interposed in the air delivery line of the pump and equipped with a separator for eliminating excess oil, returned from the pump, from the discharged air.

Other and further features and objects of the inventionwill be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specification, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention for purposes of illustration only, it being understood that such changes and modifications may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the pumping equipment showing embalming apparatus in diagrammatic form attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pumping apparatus, a portion of the pump housing being broken away to illustrate the interior thereof.

Fig. '3 is a horizontal section taken on broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Fig. -2 and Fig. 5 isa vertical section through the oil reservoir taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

The present invention contemplates apparatus for usein the various embalming operations and is adapted for the delivery of a steady flow of compressed air for the introduction of embalming fluid, in the known manner, into the various portions of the corpse and for the simultaneous provision of a vacuum for use in withdrawing body fluids from the corpse, each of the operations being subject to suitable regulation of the air pressures to provide that fine control so essential for the best results. Since the apparatus must oftentimes be used at the home of the decreased, special efforts have been made, by the provision of apparatus to be later described, for the substantially complete elimination of the usual noises attendant upon the operation of air pumps. The apparatus may also be used in certain surgical work.

It is not deemed essential to describe fully the embalming process but it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is much more effective and can be carried out with greater finesse if aspiration and injection can be done simultaneously with accurate regulation of both pressures. The present invention contemplates in particular the necessary apparatus for producing air under pressure for delivering the embalming fluid and aspirating suction for removing body fluids.

The apparatus is mounted upon a suitable base I0 and may all be incorporated in a relatively compact carrying case (not shown) if desired. Mounted on the base, with the shaft horizontal, is a small universal electric motor l2 having extension IS on its left end plate M, to which is attached the housing l5 of a suitable rotary air pump, of which one type is shown in more detail in Fig. 4, although the invention is not dependent upon the exact type of pump used. The rotor |6 of the pump is directly connected to an extension l6 of the motor shaft.

The pump casing has a suction inlet I! and an air pressure outlet l8, each fitted with ap propriate nipples for the attachment of tubing. Mounted on top of the motor in any convenient manner and near the end opposite the pump, is a hollow casting l9 divided by a septum 20 into a suction-equalizing chamber 2| and a pressureequalizing chamber 22, desirably of the same size. A removable airtight cover 23 closes the tops of both chambers. Each chamber has its right hand wall perforated for the reception of a nipple 24-25 respectively for the attachment of suction and pressure hoses, as shownin Fig. 1. A perforation in the end wall of each chamber receives one of the relief valves 26-21, each adjustable by means of a thumb button 28. Each valve connects its chamber to atmosphere.- The wall of each chamber opposite the hose nipple is perforated to receive the nipple of a pressure gage, 29 for indicating the vacuum in chamber 2|,and 30 for indicating the pressure in chamber 22.

The interior of chamber 2| is connected by a metal tube 3| directly to the suction inlet I! of the pump, while the chamber 22 is connected by a metal tube 32 to the elbow 33 which passes through the cover 34 of a transparent oil reservoir 35, shown in detail in Fig. 5. This oil reservoir is interposed between the pump outlet l8 and the tube 32 by means of the short nipple 36, which likewise supports the base 31 of the reservoir from the pump housing.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the general operation of the device will be clear when it is stated that compressed air from the pump is delivered to the closed oil reservoir, thence through tubing 32 to the closed equalizing chamber 22, from whence it is delivered by the hose attached to the nipple 25 into an appropriate container 40 for embalming fluid. The air pressure on top of the fluid in this closed container forces it out through the pipe 4| to its final destination. A pipe 42 conducts fluid from the corpse into the closed receiver 63 under the action of thepump suction taken from chamber 2| by means of the tube attached to the nipple 24. The chamber 2| is exhausted by means of tube 3| connected to the pump inlet.

The respective pressures are indicated on the two gages 29 and 30 and can be regulated by appropriate settings of the valves 26 and 21 from zero to the maximum capacity of the pump, each independent of the other.

To contribute to the quiet operation of the pump, to lubricate and seal the same, and to silence the compressed air therefrom, special use is made of the oil reservoir 35, which is normally about one quarter full of oil. It may be replenished through filler plug 44. This reservoir has a small tube 45 passing through its top and reaching substantially to the bottom ofsame. This tube leads, as shown in Fig. 2, to a nipple 46 passing-through the end plate of the pump and delivers a steady flow of oil, which lubricates and silences the same and effectively seals the vanes thereof against their respective operating surfaces. This oil is delivered to the pump under the action of the pressure of the compressed air on the surface of the .oil in the reservoir.

Excess oil is returned to the reservoiralong with,

the air through the discharge nipple 36 and the extension 50 thereof inside of the reservoir. This extension is screwed into the base 31 and extends up to the top forming a means for attaching the cover 34 by means of the bolt 5| as shown. The tube 50 is laterally drilled as at 52 for the discharge of air and oil in a downward direction beneath the hood 53 integral with this extension. By thus directing the mixture downwardly, the entrained oil particles are returned to the oil in the reservoir, while the air passes upwardly and out through the nipple 33. The space above the oil serves to compensate to some extent for the pulsations of the pump discharge.

To further insulate the sounds of the pump and the air therefrom, each of the equalizing chambers 2| and 22 is filled with a suitable porous resilient sound-deadening material. Ordinary sponge rubber has been found very satisfactory for this and, in addition, acts to filter the air of any remaining oil particles and to insure that the incoming air is delivered to the pump free of harmful substances. These fillers contribute to the smoothness of the air flow to and from the respective chambers, removing the pump pulsations and adding to the quietness of operation. That in the intake also serves to prevent entrance of body fiuids into the pump in the event of an overflow of container 43.

Fig. 4 shows a suitable form of rotary pump in which the rotor i6 is eccentrically fitted in the chamber 60 and provided with sliding vanes 6| to bear on the periphery of the chamber and evacuate and compress the air in the spaces between them in a Well known manner.

The whole device is extremely compact, light in weight, easy to operate, very efficient, and above all, extremely silent and effective in its operation. By its use superior results are obtained over those available with present known apparatus.

We claim:

1. In an injecting and aspirating apparatus for embalming operations, in combination, an air pump having a suction inlet and a pressure outlet, a motor for driving said pump, a receiving vessel, an injecting fluid reservoir, a tube connecting said inlet with said vessel, a tube con necting said outlet to said reservoir, a suction equalizing chamber interposed in the first tube, a pressure equalizing chamber interposed in the second tube, a suction gage and a pressure gage connected to the respective chambers, combined sound deadening and filtering material in each chamber, an adjustable relief valve connected to each chamber, a closed oil supply tank adapted to deliver lubricating and sealing oil to said pump, and means to return excess oil to said tank, said means including a portion of said second mentioned tube ahead of said pressure equalizing chamber whereby said filtering material retains any oil escaping said return means.

2. In an injecting and aspirating apparatus for embalming operations, in combination, a motor driven air pump having a suction inlet and a pressure outlet, a suction equalizing chamber,'a pressure equalizing chamber, a gage connected to each chamber, a filling of sponge rubber in the pressure equalizing chamber, an adjustable relief valve connecting each chamber to atmosphere, a tube from said inlet to said first chamber, an oil reservoir mounted on said pump,.

a delivery pipe extending from below the oil level in said reservoir through the top thereof to said pump to deliver lubricating and sealing oil thereto, a tube from said outlet to said reservoir opening above the oil level therein to return excess oil and deliver air under pressure to the reservoir to assist the oil feed and a tube leading from above the oil level in said reservoir to said first mentioned chamber, each chamber having a nipple for connecting tubing thereto, said sponge rubber acting to remove oil from the air delivered to the pressure chamber.

3. In an injecting and aspirating apparatus for embalming operations, in combination, a motor driven air pump, having a suction inlet and a pressure outlet, a suction equalizing chamber, a pressure equalizing chamber, an adjustable relief valve connecting each chamber to atmosphere, a tube from said first chamber to said inlet, a tubev from said outlet to said second chamber, a nipple opening to each chamber for connecting tubing thereto, means to silence the operation of said compressor comprising a closed reservoir interposed in said second tube, means for filling said reservoir with oil, means to deliver oil from the reservoir to the pump to lubricate and seal the same, means in said reservoir to separate the oil delivered by said pump from the air passing therefrom, and a porous filler in said pressure equalizing chamber for further silencing, said filler filtering out any oil entrained in the compressed air delivered from the oil reservoir.

4. In an injecting and aspirating apparatus for embalming operations, in combination, a base, an electric motor mounted horizontally on said base, a rotary air pump driven directly by said motor and supported on one end thereof, a pair of closed chambers mounted on top of the motor near the opposite end thereof and each having a nipple for connection to air hoses, each chamber having an adjustable relief valve to atmosphere, said pump having an inlet connected to one of said chambers and an outlet, a closed oil reservoir mounted on and above said pump, a tube from said outlet extending into said reservoir to a position above the oil level therein, an oil and air separator carried by said tube in said reservoir, a connection from the top of said reservoir to said second chamber, means to deliver oil to said pump to seal and silence the same, said means comprising a tube leading from below the oil level in said reservoir to the inside of the pump and a filling of sound deadening, resilient, porous filtering material. in each of said chambers.

5. In an injecting and aspirating apparatus for embalming operations, in combination, a base, an electric motor mounted horizontally on said base, a rotary air pump driven directly by said motor and supported on one end thereof, a pair of closed chambers mounted on top of the motor near the opposite end thereof and each having a nipple for connection to air hoses, each chamber having an adjustable relief valve to atmosphere, said pump having an inlet connected to one of said chambers and an outlet, a closed oil reservoir mounted on and above said pump, a tube from said outlet extending into said reservoir to a position above the oil level therein, an oil and air separator carried by said tube in said reservoir, a connection from the top of said reservoir to said second chamber, means to deliver oil to said pump to seal and silence the same, said means comprising a tube leading from below' the oil level in said reservoir to the inside of the pump, a filling of sound deadening, resilient, porous material in each of said chambers, each chamber having an appropriate gage connected thereto.

THOMAS GILMORE.

LOUIS JUNOD. 

